This phrase is taken from a favorite philosopher of mine, Alfred Korzybski. As the URL of the blog implies, I am a Persophile and much of what I write will likely pertain to Iran and the Persian people. My interests are diverse however, and I will also be writing about anything and everything else that inspires me. The photo is of Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran, built in 1971. Azadi means 'freedom' or 'liberty' in Persian (Farsi)

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Israel/Palestine and Mandela

I wrote this for my local paper following a series of negative, thoughtless op-eds by a variety of local citizens. Unfortunately they decided to not publish this, which is too bad since it is something which more people should be paying attention to. It would have been much longer but there is a 200 word limit so this is what I was left with:

"What never ceases to amaze me in the submissions of 'Let the Public Speak' regarding Israel/Palestine is the lack of sensitivity to others and the repeated usage of inaccurate propagandistic buzzwords best suited to the state-sponsored news media of a Third World dictatorship.

It is foolish to deny that Israel has continued to build in a manner internationally recognized as illegal, while also detaining minors and treating Palestinians poorly. It is foolish to deny that violent terrorist acts have been and continue to be perpetrated by Palestinians and their sympathizers.

The recent passing of Nelson Mandela, a man who initially used violent resistance before transitioning to more peaceful means should be a reminder of the possibility of solving seemingly intractable quandaries. The success of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Committee show that the path to reconciliation is not through forced capitulation, but dialogue. The vitriolic hate I see in the Press Democrat, the flagship paper of one of the most liberal places in the US, is discouraging. It is important to be self-critical, and to understand WHY someone else has a different point of view. Calling names and slinging mud never brought anyone closer to a peaceful resolution."